Interview with Edward Box ( www.lionmusic.com   ) by Johnny C of www.loudmetal.com 

Please talk a little about your new album Plectrumhead:

I have endeavoured to make all the tracks for the new album as accessible as possible because I feel that at times guitar based music can be very self absorbed with songs that are far too long.  Only one track on the album is over 5 minutes long and the rest come in at around the 3 or 4 minute mark- just like a hit single!  Each track adheres to the tried and trusted principals of song structure so you can still pick out verses, bridges, choruses and middle eights within the barrage of soloing!  Surfing with the Alien is a classic example of  this style of album.   Satriani produces instrumentals that have real value as songs and could appeal to your mum or girlfriend.  This is an inspiration to me and I hope that Plectrumhead reflects these values and ideals.  I have also attempted to offer a wide variety of styles from power ballads to full on Metal so hopefully there is something for everyone.

 I originally sent demo versions of the songs to Lion Music and they were good enough to offer me the chance of putting it out if I re-recorded the tracks.  I elected to record at Trinity Heights studios in Newcastle which is run by Fred Purser (ex Tygers of Pan Tang) who also produced the project.  Fred is very well respected in the field and has worked with a wide variety of artists so there was no contest as to who I would choose to record with.

 Bass is provided by Neil Lough and the drums by Mick Robson, a highly evolved rhythm section by any standards.  I used to play in a band called Arch Stanton with Mick and he in turn had played in another band called Hollow with Neil so we were all well in tune with each other’s vibe.

Which guys would you consider to be your main influences?

George Lynch, Michael Schenker, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen, Edward Van Halen, Michael Lee Firkins, Doug Aldrich and Ronni le Tekro to name but a few.  When I first started playing there were probably only a handful of truly great guitarists playing but then in the mid 80’s there was an explosion of brilliant players and I tried to absorb as many interesting facets as I could.  Nobody creates in a musical vacuum and I am as guilty as anyone of copying the masters!  If I had to pick a single biggest influence it would be George Lynch.   I just love his tone and style.

How would you describe your music to someone who is not familiar with it?

I would describe it as being high energy instrumental rock and all guitar based but at the same time very melodic.  Song wise I feel it recalls Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Michael Lee Firkins (but not as good as those guys!) with a bit of Yngwie thrown into the mix.  If you liked late 80’s guitar albums then it’s for you.  If not then I’m sure most people can get off on such tracks as So Glad and Blue Skies Above.

How did you develop your own style of playing, did you take any lessons?

I had a few lessons when I was very young but in terms of the way I play I am completely self taught.  My style has developed over the years along with my technique.  I have never consciously tried to be original , I just play what I enjoy and I don’t worry about what I can’t do. I just try to focus on the positive aspects of what I play.  I started out by learning riffs and solos and mimicking the phrasing of others.  Eventually it all becomes part of your vocabulary and hopefully your own voice will develop.  I have never been into the idea of learning solos note for note, as long as you get close to the vibe of the solo that’s good enough because then you have bottled the essence of what made it great in the first place. 

What is more important, feeling or technique? Can you survive with only one of them?

In a short answer no.  But feeling and technique are inextricably linked.  Feeling isn’t just emotion.  If I was really angry and tried to play something it could sound crap.  Feeling has to be restrained and tempered by musicality, it is the touch and sensitivity to the instrument that an individual possesses.  There is no such thing as ‘slow with feeling’ and ‘fast without feeling’.  If we take someone like Malmsteen, his technique is an extension of his inner aggression but is countered by his ability to contain it within a musical framework.  Therefore he can switch between different degrees of technical expression at the drop of a hat while maintaining his ‘feel’ for whatever he is playing.  Conversely, we could have a so called ‘bluesy’ player who dismisses more technically minded players but who over bends and plays lousy notes and has a bad ‘feel’.

It matters not whether you’re Eric Clapton or Eric Johnson, they are both great players who possess great technique to do what they want to do even though we might think that their creative spheres are miles apart.

What kind of equipment are you using live or in the studio?

Live I use two Fender Stratocasters, one has a Floyd Rose and humbucker and the other is a straight 50’s reissue.  For amplification I use a Peavey Special 160 watt combo and Boss pedal board for effects.  In the studio I linked the Peavey with a Marshall 50 watt head and a Soldano 60 watt head as well as a Sans amp.  All the effects were out board for the mix apart from an MXR phaser, which I used on the middle section of the title track.

How was the album recorded?

The bass and drums were done together against a click track and then all the rhythm guitars were double tracked separately.  I also added clean and acoustic guitars in stereo and the lead guitar was the last thing to go down.  A lot of the lead parts were comped to save time so if I played a good bit it would be kept and I would move on to the next bit.  Having said that, there is still a lot of one take stuff on the album but at times it was a very ‘beat the demo’ situation because I was lifting parts verbatim from the original recordings.

Which musicians would you like to play with some day?

All my old friends who have been fighting hard for success for so long.  A lot have had to give up music due to financial constraints.  It would be great to work together again and taste the fruits of our labour and relationships.   I would be too nervous to jam with my idols.  They would probably charge me for all the licks I’ve stolen!

What kind of music do you like the least?

Manufactured pop.  Good music can exist in all genres but at the moment this isn’t happening.

In my country we are in the grip of a retroactive creative stranglehold.  The record companies are reverting to a late 50’s/early 60’s pre Beatles way of producing music whereby outside writers are used in a tinpan alley fashion and kids are shipped in from stage school or TV talent contests to perform the ‘emotive’ girl/boy song.  Music is now aimed at 9 to 13 year olds or ‘tweenagers’ and not the adult masses.  Gone are the days of the British invasion.  The Americans don’t want to know anymore. We have traded our cultural heritage at the shrine of capitalism and we have paid the ultimate price for allowing middle-English ‘suits’ to decide the musical future.  They have signed a bunch talentless twats where once we had the crown jewels of rock, metal and pop.

Do you ever listen to music that is very different from what you do, if so what?

I enjoy a bit of Abba and even the Carpenters!  I also love film composers.  I adore Bernard Herrman, Ennio Morricone and particularly John Barry, who I count as a big influence on my writing when it comes to pop and rock.  I will always be a metalhead at heart, though, and for that there is only one band for me and that is Judas Priest.  Even though I’m a solo artist I will always prefer the camaraderie and dynamics of a band.  It simply can’t be beaten.

Are there any plans to tour?

Not at the moment because Mick and Neil have job commitments and I am severely financially restricted.  The album was always more of a recording project, however, I do hope to secure some endorsements in the near future and to demonstrate at shows so hopefully there will some kind of live work in the coming year.

What other plans do you have for the near future?

Depending on how the album performs I will be writing in preparation for a follow up.  I will also be pushing the album in the press and at guitar shows in order to gain exposure and secure more interest in what I am doing.

How is the musical climate for hard rock in your country?

There is still a cult following but the charts are dominated by American Nu Metal and post Seattle/Punk hybrids.  There has been a steady move towards the American rock market since the days of Bon Jovi and very few English acts break through now.  A lot of 80’s bands come to play in the Newcastle area but the live scene is not very good in this country due to the restrictive licensing and entertainment laws.  People would rather watch karaoke than an original band and that is an attitude that is mediated through television.  Being good at cover versions is seen as a real creative achievement.  I must remember to move abroad!

What are your feelings about the world we live in and how do you look upon yourself in 15 years from now?

Post September 11th things should be more unified but there not.   The main problem is that we live in such a state of advanced capitalism that anything less than what the media says we should have is seen as a cause for unrest.   You can promise people the earth but the world we live in is dependent on exploitation, from the third world right up to full developed economies and I don’t see the gap between rich and poor shortening anytime soon.  With the increasing rise in corporate globalisation, the sense of individuality is lost and the work place has become a haven for oppressive company philosophy and political correctness.  Things can only continue down this bleak path.

Where I see myself 15 years from now I couldn’t say but I hope I’m happy, healthy and still involved in music in some way.